


Compartmentalising - An Aaron Hotchner One-shot

by frogwithahat



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Cute Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:41:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28277046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frogwithahat/pseuds/frogwithahat
Summary: Reader is reminded of their family on a case and breaks down in Hotch's arms, comfort and confessions ensue.Im a very new writer so any helpful criticism is welcome!!
Relationships: Aaron Hotchner/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 65





	Compartmentalising - An Aaron Hotchner One-shot

Looking at the case file again you huff out a breath of frustration, two days and no progress whatsoever. Dysfunctional families are being murdered, with the mothers' mouths sewn shut, the fathers stabbed an ungodly amount of times, and any kids killed execution style. Obviously the unsub had a grudge against his parents and you couldn't help letting the case remind you of your own fucked up family. Sadly, not all can be as good at compartmentalising as Emily Prentiss. 

You stand up and start to head to the coffee machine, your shoes clicking across the floor of the local police station. Eyes looking around you see the only members of the team in the station, Hotch and JJ. The former with his brow furrowed reading files and the later talking to officers. Hotch looks up from his folder and meets your eyes, eyebrows relaxing if only for a second. Reaching the coffee and pouring a cup you see Hotch reach your side. A soft smell of old coffee and shoe polish coming your way, a stiff presence that rests its questioning gaze on your head. Grabbing a mug and carefully taking the coffee pot from you he pours his own cup.

“Any progress y/l/n”

“None whatsoever, I've groomed through all the files and I just can't find anything” you say, obviously agitated and disappointed that this unsub is still at large. 

“Switch with Reid when he gets back and look over the geographical profile, a fresh set of eyes could help both of you” He says staring into your eyes with that same intense look, although you think you can see a softness behind it. 

“I need a break first”. Thoughts of your own parents start to break into your mind. An emotionally immature mother and a violent narcissistic father, life was not kind to you. You feel your heart rate increase and you start to get uncomfortably warm. _Not now y/n, not in front of your fucking boss_. Fixing your gaze at the coffee in your hand you feel tears welling up in your eyes. All you want to do is fly into Hotch's arms, the last time you had been hugged by the man was when you were shot. His arms would tighten around you, wrapping you in his comforting smell, his chin resting on your head, thumb rubbing circles on your back. His comfort was something you craved, growing up without much physical affection has caused you to crave it. It was fairly impossible for you to not have a crush on Hotch, a dominant boss man who seemed to have a soft spot for you, how could you not. Silence settled around you, forcing your feet to move, your muscles to contract, anything to get you outside before you break. 

You try to ignore his stare breaking through the back of your head.

You push open the doors and walk around the side of the station, getting somewhere slightly more isolated. Leaning against the wall, tears flood out and make their way down your face silently contorting into an expression of pain and sadness. That is until someone rounds the corner. Quickly wiping the tears off your face you turn. Eyes locking on to the oh-so-familiar brown ones you try to avoid. Arms extending outward he puts his hands on your shoulders, ducking his head to look into your reddened eyes. 

“Hey, talk to me, how are you feeling?”

“I just, I’m sorry Hotch. I know this is unprofessional and I should be able to deal with this, these murders just remind me of my family and it's getting to me. I'm so sorry”. You say, another tear winding down your face. 

Hotch reaches out, his right thumb brushing hesitantly across your cheek. Ripping your gaze from his shiny black shoes you look into his eyes. His soft brown eyes that looked at you with so much sympathy and care you almost couldn't believe it. 

“Come here, it's okay”, He released your shoulder and wrapped his arms around you “It's okay, just let it out and relax for me”. Tears broke free from your eyes and were soaked up by his blazer. One of his arms rubbing circles on your upper back and the other wrapping around your lower back, hand holding your side. His chin rested on your head as you continued to release your sorrows into his poor blazer. You gripped onto the back of it as if his solid body was the only thing holding you to this earth. Your head buried into his upper chest, your forehead just reached the stubble on his neck. Trying your best to take in deep breaths, breathe in the scent of his undoubtedly expensive cologne and week old blazer. Your fingers lightened their grip on the back of his blazer, palms spreading wide over his back, hands trying to feel as much of his presence as possible. You could feel his body heat seep into your hands, mind starting to slow down.

“I-I’m really sorry, I’m so sorry”. You choked out, only realizing now what you had done. Sobbed into your bosses arms while he comforted you. 

“Don’t be, it's okay, we all get overwhelmed sometimes. I’m always here for you”

He released his grip from you, rubbing his hands up and down your arms. Once again ducking a bit to meet your eyes and peer into your lonely soul.

“I will always be here for you”

A slight smile made its way to your lips as the gravity of his words hit you. _He’ll always be here for me_ , he really cares for me. Your fingers rubbed the fabric of his blazer, hands gripping the front of it. 

He took a step closer, reaching one of his hands up to cup the side of your face. Thumb once again flicking across your cheek to wipe the remaining tears away. Dipping down, as a man of his height must, he leans in. Breaths intermingling in the inch between your lips, old coffee meets candy-sweet tea.

“Is this okay?” He asks, both hands now cupping your face.

“Yeah” You breathlessly let out. A smile reached his face before he closed the gap. His hand resting on your waist as you brought yours up to his face, pressing against the stubble that has grown on this case. 

Breaking apart you smile at him like a love sick teenager, mirroring his actions from earlier and taking his face in your hands. Your fingers trace his stubble, eyes soaking in all the details of a soft Hotch, a domestic Hotch, a loving Hotch. 

“Please go to dinner with me when we get back, usually I dine before kissing but I guess this is a special case” He mumbles as a deep chuckle bubbles from him. You let out a giggle as you peck his lips once again. Getting used to this new Hotch, the one you can kiss and love and cuddle. The one you love. 

“Of course Hotch” 

“Call me Aaron y/n, at least when we’re alone”

“Hmm yes sir, will do Aaron”. Letting the foreign name roll from your tongue, he raises an eyebrow at you.

“And save the sir for another time, maybe for after a second date” He suggests with a smirk. Your eyes widening in shock, as the Aaron Hotchner just made a sexual innuendo. You bury your face in his chest again, laughing at his ridiculousness, before tilting your head up and kissing his jawline and then his lips. You just couldn't stay away from them. 

“Alright, alright, if you're feeling better we should head back in before anyone gets ideas” He whispers.

“Ya, ya, I would stay with you like this all day but I suppose we do have a killer to catch”

Turning back to the station you start walking, Aaron matching your pace with a hand on your lower back. His way of saying _I'm here._


End file.
